Please Mr. Postman
The very first album I bought with my own money was "The Beatles Second Album." I was in the second grade and I thought that was something. It wasn't really their second album, nor was it even a real album. It was a collection of songs culled from various UK releases, including tracks left off of "With The / Meet The Beatles," some singles, B-Sides and EP's, and even the as yet (in the US) unreleased "A Hard Day's Night."
(Incidentally, I rate "A Hard Day's Night" (UK edition) to be one of the greatest rock records of all time, definitely in my top 4 Beatles albums, and ahead of the much lauded "Revolver." Click here to read Neddie's excellent essay on the subject.)
The record rocks in spite of the fact that it was thrown together by Capitol with no regard to the artists original intentions. I still have it. I drew glasses, mustaches and beards on the fab 4, not knowing that I'd be sorry later. Not that sorry though as it is kind of amusing. There is this one picture of Ringo where I drew a goatee, and I thought it made him look like Maynard G. Krebs.
The Beatles were in a class by themselves in so many respects, including their remakes. They turned other people's songs into their own and made them sound like a Beatle Record.
"Please Mr. Postman" remains one of my favorites, and it reminds me why I count John Lennon as the greatest rock vocalist of all time.
Listen here.
posted by The Viscount LaCarte at 7:55 AM
3 Comments:
Man, th' glasses and moustache thing is awesome.
The sooner the bet.
I also worship the cover of "Something New". Maybe a shot from Ed Sullivan? Th' "futuristic" stage dressing behind them and all.
Four very rare stars to Capitol for that.
Maybe a shot from Ed Sullivan?
Yeah - definitely from Sullivan. When I was a kid, I called that one "Something New, Something New."
I remember BLASTING "Things We Said Today" back in like '64 or '65 and thinking it was the best song in the universe...
The boys surely knew how to rock. I like their cover of "Roll Over Beethoven," a song too often treated as a museum piece.
"Please Mr Postman" is damn fine too. The original is interesting as relatively early Motown in which the 60s "girl group" vocals (while not bad) sound dated but the beat - and the great Motown rhthym section - speak of great things to come.
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